Donald Trump suggested that he’d support a national ban on abortions around 15 weeks of pregnancy. For the first time, he is voicing support for a specific limit on the procedure. The former president has taken credit for striking down a federally guaranteed right to abortion by appointing three US Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.
As he seeks the White House for the third time, Trump has refrained from embracing any specific limit on the procedure, warning it could backfire politically. Instead, he suggested he would “negotiate” a policy on abortion that would include exceptions for cases of rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother.
Also, Trump reportedly criticized Democrats for not endorsing a ban that would limit abortions in states that still allow the procedure. As the abortion ban reaches a new high nationwide, the former president had these to say.
Trump’s Indication
While calling into the “Sid & Friends in the Morning” show on WABC, Trump let a lot off his chest. “We’re going to come up with a time, and maybe we could bring the country together on that issue,” Trump said.
“The number of weeks now, people are agreeing on 15. And I’m thinking in terms of that. And it’ll come out to something very reasonable,” the former president added. “People are, even hard-liners, agreeing; 15 weeks seems to be a number that people are agreeing at.”
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Simultaneously, Trump suggests a reluctance to a federal ban. “Everybody agrees. You’ve heard this for years. All the legal scholars on both sides agree. It’s a state issue. It shouldn’t be a federal issue; it’s a state issue,” he said.
Previous Speculations About Trump’s Support for Abortion
Previously, Trump’s campaign dismissed reports that he privately had expressed support for a ban on abortion after 16 weeks of pregnancy, calling the report “fake news.” The campaign did not offer details on Trump’s plans, only saying he planned to “negotiate a deal” on abortion.
In addition, after casting his ballot in Florida’s Republican presidential primary, Trump was asked by a reporter about a ban on abortions at 16 weeks. The former president responded, “We’ll be talking about that soon.”
Voter’s Reactions
Voters have consistently expressed opposition to abortion restrictions in states that have put a referendum or constitutional amendment on the ballot. Also, anti-abortion activists sought to center the campaign on abortions later in pregnancy.
A 15-week ban would be less strict than the six-week or total bans many Republican-led states have passed. However, it would be more restrictive than the status quo that held for nearly 50 years before the Supreme Court overturned Roe V Wade in 2022.
Wade Was Overturned
Wade protected abortion rights until viability after it was amended by Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1992. Viability is when a fetus can survive outside the womb, generally around 23 weeks, though it varies by pregnancy.
Again, Trump boasted about appointing three Supreme Court justices who overturned Wade. Additionally, he had tried hard to avoid saying what he would do if re-elected, even as his allies went public with their hope that he would use executive actions to ban abortion without legislation effectively.
President Biden’s Opinion
President Biden’s campaign reportedly responded to Trump’s interview with a statement from Amanda Zurawski, who was initially denied an abortion in Texas despite life-threatening complications and is one of several women suing over Texas’ abortion ban.
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“My family has been forever altered by the nightmare that Donald Trump created by overturning Wade,” Ms. Zurawski said. “Trump isn’t ‘signaling,’ he isn’t ‘suggesting,’ he isn’t ‘leaning toward’ anything.”
She added, “He is actively planning to ban abortion nationwide if he’s elected, inflicting the same cruelty and chaos I’ve experienced on the entire country.” Abortion rights have been a galvanizing issue for voters in recent years.
Democrats and President Joe Biden’s campaign are preparing to spotlight the issue as a clear split from Trump in the 2024 election. Polling has consistently shown that most Americans believe abortion should be legal through the initial stages of pregnancy. Also, about half of US adults reportedly said abortions should be permitted at the 15-week mark.
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